Things That Drive a Wine Retailer Nuts

Originally published on January 19, 2009.

Actually, it’s just one thing. And it probably isn’t unique to wine stores. It’s probably the bane of many a retailer’s existence. What is this annoying thing?

New One Dollar Bills!

Nothing strikes dread into my heart quite like going into the bank with five ratty 20s and exchanging them for a stack of 100 crisp, new one dollar bills.

They may seem all nice, clean, and green, but really, they’re evil. They stick together like glue, making them impossible to count out at the end of the night. Even if you try to ruffle them up by banging them on the counter, crumpling them, or even stepping on them, they just don’t get the ratty edges that make them easy to count quickly. And at the end of the night, all you really want to do is count out, turn out the lights, and lock the door. But those new ones just don’t make it easy.